The Helio Sequence – “October”

Portland duo the Helio Sequence are releasing their fifth album, Negotiations, this fall. Though the band is small in number, the album’s first single, “October,” sounds huge.

The two come together sounding like arena-filling indie rockers Death Cab for Cutie or My Morning Jacket, but those groups have at least double the manpower to create their big sounds. Both members multitask to bulk up the music. Guitarist Brandon Summers sings a bit like Ben Gibbard or Jim James (or maybe Band of Horses‘ Ben Bridwell), while Benjamin Weikel pulls double duty on keys and drums.

The band has gone a bit under the radar, but “October” is a great introduction if you haven’t been paying attention to the Helio Sequence yet.